I was torn between giving this book a four or five star rating, but finally decided on five. It’s a little sappy and the two stories Albom weaves through his book are not particularly exciting. One is about a rabbi who asks Albom to deliver his eulogy, but isn't quite ready to die. Although this was the rabbi Albom had as a child, the two men meet repeatedly so that Albom might understand the older man enough to say the right words. The other story is about a violent drug addict who agrees to dedicate his life to God, if God gets him through a life threatening situation. The man follows through on his pledge. He becomes a minister and opens a church/homeless shelter serving some poor but interesting parishioners.

Both of those stories were nice, but not strong enough to carry the book. What makes the book wonderful are the little stories within the novel that the rabbi and minister tell. These are masterful and make both of the main characters into extraordinary people. It's the kind of book that a reader can open to almost any place and discover something beautiful. My book club read it. Everyone there loved it. The night we discussed it we had one of the best discussions we’d had all year.